Our plan for grass-fed beef in the Northeast developed from the facts on the ground.

• The Northeast has good soil – rocky, yes, but great for grazing.

• Unlike the West, we are blessed with abundant rainfall for growing grass.

• Many family farmers here are already raising beef calves, but also have day jobs and are challenged by marketing.

• Not far from our region’s farms, we have densely populated urban areas where the demand for local, 100% grass-fed beef is growing rapidly.

But Northeast beef producers – until now – have found limited outlets for their grass-fed beef because wholesale markets (stores, institutions, and restaurants) need large volumes of meat that is consistently high-quality: that is, safe, tasty, and tender. Cooperatives that draw from a number of small livestock operations - each with its own breeds and farm practices - struggle to provide the volume and consistent quality that wholesale buyers demand.

Our program addresses this problem in several ways:

(1) We recruit Northeast farmers who are committed to raising grass-fed calves according to our standards and protocol.

(2) We provide these partnering farmers with the technical support needed to supply wholesale markets with consistent, high-quality beef. 

(3) Finally, because finishing (fattening) cattle for market on pasture requires not only skill but also more time than many farmers have, we aggregate the young stock from our partner farms onto our finishing farms (also in the Northeast), where skilled graziers fatten these larger herds on pasture. This mimics the way the buffalo grazed the Great Plains, which resulted in deep, fertile topsoil.

We are proud to have developed a model for producing 100% grass-fed beef that ensures consistent high quality to wholesale customers throughout the Northeast.  

Find details here about how we raise grass-fed beef using rotational grazing, cover crops, and other regenerative practices.

Farmers: To find out more about working with Big Picture Beef, contact us.